Lawmakers pull plug on Raytheon blimp program

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http://www.bostonglobe.com/business/2016/03/22/lawmakers-pull-plug-raytheon-blimp-program/PkYPlO7yFL1nJ4MgDlAI4O/story.html



The runaway surveillance blimp hovered last year over an Amish carriage and driver in Pennsylvania.

Lawmakers pull plug on Raytheon blimp program
By Sophia Bollag Globe Correspondent March 23, 2016

WASHINGTON — A runaway military surveillance blimp that knocked out power for thousands when it dragged its severed tether across Maryland and Pennsylvania last year is still causing problems months later for its manufacturer, Waltham-based defense contractor Raytheon.

Citing the embarassing episode and other problems, lawmakers dealt Raytheon a blow this month by denying the latest funding request for the $3 billion program — leaving the system of unmanned blimps floating in limbo.

The pilot program, designed to detect incoming cruise missiles and other threats, involved two aerostats equipped with radar systems suspended thousands of feet in the air and tethered at Aberdeen Proving Ground in Maryland.

When one of the blimps broke loose last October and floated free for 150 miles, it captured national news attention and live coverage on cable networks. It finally came to rest in a field in Moreland Township, Pennsylvania.